Strip-feeding device



Sept. 23, 1930.

w. H. JOHNSON STRIP FEEDING DEVICE 4 Shoots- Sheet. 1

Filed April 2, 1924 v Q R W. H. JOHNSON STRIP FEEDING DEVICE .Sept. 23,1930.

Filed April 2, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet, 2

4 Sheets-Sheet. s

llll W. H. JOHNSON STRIP FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 2, 1924 Sept. 23, 1930.

.F1g.3. A

Sept. 23, 1930. w. H. JOHNSON STRIP FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 2, 1924 4 Shuts-Sheet 4 NV 701i Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. JOHNSON, OF ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY STRIP-FEEDENG DEVICE Application filed April 2, 1924.

width approximately the same as, or very slightly greater than, the length of the nails. The nail strip material is ordinarily formed I in lengths of a few feet and must be fed step by step to the cutting. dies of the machine. As each strip is used up it is necessary to introduce another strip in its place. This has been done manually toa large extent, though there are in present use machines which automatically introduce successive strips into the carrier when the strip already there has been nearly exhausted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide simple and reliable mechanism which may be used to feed nail strips to the cutting dies of a nail making machine with a minimum of attention on the part of the operative and which, at the same time, will be'simple and compact in construction so that it Will occupy a minimum of space in the factory. lVith this object in view I have provided anail strip carrier ofimproved construction, arranged to present the nail strip to the cutting dies, and improved transfer mechanism controlled by the passage of a nail strip through the carrier and arranged to transfera strip from the magazine to the carrier as the strip already in the carrier approaches exhaustion.

A feature of the invention comprises a magazine arranged to hold a stack of strips i of material and mechanism for removing a strip edgewise from the magazine and for introducing it end'wise into the strip carrier of the machine when the strip in the carrier approaches exhaustion. This arrangement produces a peculiarly compact construction of'such a nature that a large number of strips (enough to last for several hours if very small tacks are being made or'for a substantial fraction of'an hour if large nails are being made) may be placed'in the magazine Serial No. 703,6?2.

at one time. These strips are automatically transferred one at a time tothe carrier and presented to the cutting dies of themachine without further attention being required on the part of the operative. The invention also comprises improved mechanism for feeding the nail strips through the carrier, this mechanism being of such a natur'ethat it can be used advantageously either with or without the automatic mechato nism for transferring the strips from the magazine to the carrier. An important feature of the mechanism for feeding. the strips through the carrier comprises an arrangement of reciprocating pawls having approximately c5 cylindrical strip-engaging dogs each of which terminates in a truncated cone, opposing dogs gripping the nail strip-feeding it forward or holding it between successive feeding move-- ments as the case may be. mechanism I have found to be particularly advantageous in that the strip-engaging dogs will last indefinitely with only an occasional grinding and may be relied upon positively and uniformly to feed the strip the required distance bet-ween the severing of successive nail blanks.

While the invention has been herein described in connection with anail making machine it should be understood that in various of its aspects it is not limited thereto since the strip feeding and transferring mechanism are evidently susceptible of use in other connections.

his stripfeedin 2-- tures in view the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and po-intedout in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevationof a nail making machine equipped with a strip feeding mechanism in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a. perspective view on a larger scale showing part of the nail making machine and aportion of the barrel or carrier of the strip feed;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the portion of the barrel and the nose piece shown in Fig. 2;

the barrel or carrier of the strip feeding device- Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the magazine, showing also parts of the mechanism for transferring the strips from the magazine to the barrel;

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the upper left and right hand portions viewed in Fig. respectively of the magazine and associated parts of the transfer mechanism Fig. 9 is a section along the line 99 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 7;

Figs. l1, l2 and 13 illustrate further details of the transfer mechanism.

The nail making machine in connection with which the invention is herein disclosed is the well-known Perkins machine having a stationary cutting die or anvil 2 t, movable cutting dies 26 and 28 and gi'iide fingers 32 and See (Fig. arranged to control the position of the nail strip (Fig. 3) as it is presented to the cutting dies.

The feeding device, together with its magazine, and transfer mechanism for controlling the passage of nail strips from the magazine to the barrel of the feeding device, are carried by a suitable support or framework 40, one end of which is attached to the frame of the nail machine. Carried by frame 40 are bearing members and in which. is mounted an elongated strip feeding carrier 46 comprising a tube or barrel which is oscillated back and forth through an angle of 180 degrees by means of flexible straps and 50, each connected at one end to carrier 46 and at the other end to an arm of one of a pair of bell crank levers 51 fnlcrumed to frame l0 and oscillated by means of a reciprocating rod Bell crank levers 5i are adj ustably connected to rod 52, as shown, for example, at i l (Fig. 1}, so that the oscillation of carrier to may be accurately adjusted. Rod 52, which is oscillated by any suitable mechanism from the main driv shaft of the nail machine, is so connected to bell crank levers 51 that corresponding movements of the two bell crank levers are separated by half of the cycle of operation of the machine so that, as strap 48 is pulled down, strap 50 may move up, and when strap 4-8 may move up, strap 50 is pulled down, the movement of carrier e0 thus being positively controlled.

The cutting edge of the die is arranged at an acute angle to the line of feed of thecarrier 46 so that the nail blanks formed will be of a slightly tapered formation, the heads of the nails being formed from the wider ends of the blanks. On account of this location of the carrier l6 and its oscillation through 180 degrees between the cutting of successive blanks, the wider end of successsive nail blanks will be cut from opposite side edges of the strip 20. 7

Novel mechanism, best shown in Fig. 8, is provided to feed the strip 20 through the carrier l6 to the dies 24, 26, 28. This mechanism comprises a pair of feed pawls and a pair of holding pawls (52 arranged to engage opposite sides of the strip 20, which is supported diametricallyof carrier 4-6 by pairs of suitableblocks 64 arranged to form apassage large enough to permit strip 20 to be fed therethrough. Blocks G l are shaped to form, at the end into which the strip 20 is introduced, a funnel-shaped opening (3'13, while at the other end of the carrier they are provided with removable wear plates 68, which form a nozzle to present the strip to the cutting dies 24, 26, 28. v v

Clamped to carrier 46 is a collar (Figs. 2 and 3) forming an abutment for one end of a coil compressionspring 72, the other end of which engages against a collar 7% slidably mounted for lengthwise movement upon the carrier a6, and to which are trunnioned, as at 76, the feed pawls 60. Each of the feed .paWls 60, as well as each of the holding pawls 62, consists of a cylindrical or slightly tapered dog ending in a truncated cone, each dog having a screw-threaded portion adjus bly mounted in a threaded hole in a block carried by the trunnions 76. A lock nut 82 is provided conveniently to hold each of the do s 63 in an adjusted position. Dogs 63 are inciined slightly forwardly with respect to the strip 20 and coil 5 )rings 84 tend to hold them in engagement therewith.

The forward face of collar 74 is provided with a plurality of diametrically opposite depressions 86, one of which is shown in Fig. 3. Fast to bearing 44 is a cam 88 having a pair of diametrically opposite rises 90 complemental in form and located opposite to the depressions 86. Thus, as tube 46 oscillates, collar 74 will be reciprocated through a shortpath, its rearward or idle movement being positive and its forward or feeding movement being under the action of spring 72. During the feeding movement of collar Tl, pawls 60 will act to grip and feed the nail strip 20, pawls 62 yielding slightly to permit the passage ofthe strip, while during the return movement of collar 74;, pawls 62 will grip and hold the strip while pawls 60 will be dragged backward over the opposite surfaces of the strip. It has been found that the frusto-conical ends of the feeding and holding dogs are particularly advantageous in fa strip feed of this character since they ensure a positive and uniform feed of the strip with a minimum of wear of'the dogs. If the strip-engagingends of the dogs are given an occasional'slight grinding so as to keep them in good condition, they will last indefinitely. In order to relieve the pressure of the'end of the nail strip against the cutting dies of the nail making machine during the rotation of carrier 46, the latter is provided with a cam track 91 (Fig. 1) co-operating with a stationary roll 92', the form of cam track being such that carrier 46 is slightly retracted at the commencement of its oscillation and is moved forward the same amount at the conclusion of its oscillation.

Fulcrumed to collar 70 at is a feeler 102 having a strip engaging end 104, feeler 102 being urged in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 3, by a spring 106. Feeler 102 is normally stationary relatively to strip 20,

but when, during the feeding movement, the

end of strip 20 passes out of engagement with the end 104 of the feeler 102, the latter is rotated through a small angle by its spring 106 so that its end 108, remote from the strip engaging end 104, changes its path of movement and, upon oscillation of the carrier 46, engages an arm 110 (Fig. 2) clamped to a rock shaft 112 suitably j ournaled in frame 40. The rocking of shaft 112 is operative to control the transfer of a strip from a source of supply illustrated as a magazine 114 (Figs. 1 and 5) as will be more fully hereinafter described. v

Secured to frame 40 is a pair of depending brackets (Figs. 1, 5 and 6), the lower end of each of'which is provided with an abutment 122 for engaging the lower end of a coil spring 124, and with'an opening to receive a rod 126 located within the coils of spring 124. At their upper ends rods 126 are provided with abutments 128 for the upper ends of springs 124, and are attached to the depending flange of an angle iron 130' upon which is placed the stack of strips which are ultimately to be fed to the nail making machine. As successive strips are moved from the top of the stack, bar 130 moves upwardly under the influence of springs 124, thus keeping the uppermost strip in the stack at a constant level. Located adj accnt to the ends of the stack of strips and of angle bar 130 is a pair of vertical angle bars 182 adj ustablv connected to which is a pair of plates 133 which prevent the escapeof strips from the stack. Secured to the upper ends of the bars 132 is a pair of angle members 135, formed as shown in Fig. 9, and provided-with threaded openings arranged to receive ad justing screws 136, each provided witha lock nut 138 for the purpose of adjusting and holding in adjusted position wear plates 140 (Figs. 7, 8 and 9). The other flanges of angle bars 132, those lying in the same plane generally parallel to the length of thestrips in the magazine, are formed, as illustrated at 142 (Fig. 8) to provide a narrow opening 144 between those flanges and wear plates 140. In the use of the feeding apparatus theseopenings are adjusted to a width sufficient to permit the passage edgewise therethrough of only one strip at a time, the necessary adjustment being made and maintained by screws 136. V

The passage of the nail strips from the magazine to tube 46 is controlled and accomplished by transfer mechanism which will now be described. Fast upon rock shaft 112 is a pair of rock arms 149, 151 the upper ends of which are connected by a rod 152. Mounted upon rod 152 and urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6, by springs 154 is a pair of fingers 156 having their ends remote from rod 152 provided with projecting portions 158 arranged -to overlie the uppermost strip in the magazine, and which, upon movement of rock arms 149, 151 in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6, tend to pull the topmost strip in the magazine edgewise through openings 144 to permit the strip to drop into contact with a series of supports 160, 162 (Fig. 5) arranged in alinement with carrier 46. Supports 162 are stationary and support is mounted upon a carriage 166 which in turn is mounted, for sliding movement, on a rack bar 168. Carriage 166 is connected by means of a rod 170 with a carriage 172 slidably mounted upon a second rack bar 174 extending parallel to rack bar 168 and connected with'and reciprocated by the rod 52. A cord or other flexible member 176 is attached to rod 170, passing over a pulley 178 and beneath a pulley 180 secured to a suitably weighted block 182 and upwardly to an anchorage 184 on frame 40. Thus the weight of block 182 tends to move carriage 166 and support 160 in a direction to push a strip resting upon supports 160, 162 into carrier 46.

lVhile the transfer mechanism is at rest, lingers 156 rest upon the topmost strip in the magazine, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, and

carriage 166 is latched forward, at the extreme left-hand end of the rack bar 168, as shown in Fig. 5. For this latter-named purpose a hook (Fig. 10) is pivotally secured at 192 to the upper end of an arm 194 (Fig. 7 extending upwardly from frame 40. 1

Arm 194 serves also as a part of the support for the rack bar 168. Pivotal movement of hook 190 is limited by means of a pin and slot connection 196 while a spring 198 urges hook 190 into engagement with a co-operating hook 200 carried by carriage 166. A finger 202 is carried by arm 149 and is located in a position to engage hook 190 when shaft 112 is rocked to release the hook 200 and carriage 166, thereby causing the transfer of a strip of material from themagazine to the carrier 46. I

A pawl 210 (Fig. 11) is fulcrumed at 212 to carriage 166, the point of the pawl being arranged for engagement with or disengagement from the notches of the rack bar 168. A U-shaped spring 21% 13) is secured at both ends to carriage 166 with thebottom portion bar of the U located in a position to engage one side or the other of a V-shaped projection 216 carried by. pawl210 so that spring 21 1 may operate to hold pawl 210 yieldingly either in engagement or out of engagement with notches of the rack bar 168. A similar pawl 220 is fulcrumed at 222 to the carriage 172, this pawl being controlled by means of a spring 22 which cooperates with a V-shaped point 226 formed on the pawl.

A lever 230 7 fulcrumed at 232 on arm 19 1 is normally held out of en agement with the tail of pawl 210 by means of a spring 23 1 (Figs. and 11).- However, when rock shaft 112 and arm 149 are rocked to cause the transfer of a strip from the magazine to the carrier 16, a pin 233 carried by arm 149 rocks lever 230 about its fulcrum 282 so that the end of that lever engages the tail of pawl 210 (Fig. 11) rocking that pawl in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 11, and thus releasing it from engagement with rod 168. Similarly a lever 2&0 is fulcrumed at 2 12 to a bracket 2414 which forms a part of the support of rack bar 174, lever 2&0 being connected by means of an adjustable link 2926 (Fig. 5) with a rock arm 248 carried by rock shaft 112. i A pin 250 carried by lever 2 is so positioned as to engage the tail of pawl 220 and move that pawl out of engagement with rack bar 171 when shaft 112 is rocked to cause the transfer of a strip from the magazine to carrier 46. Thus it will be seen that when a strip is fed from the magazine by means of the fingers 156 and is dropped upon supports 160, 162, carriage 166, which carries support 160, is freed and under the influence of the weighted block 182 moves to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5. the end 164; of support 160 engaging the end of the strip and projecting the strip into carrier 16. The entering end of the strip is guided by the conical surfaces 66 into position between blocks 6 1-, past the end 104 of feeler 102, thus moving the outer end 108 of feeler 102 so that its path of rotation moves out of line with arm 110, until the entering end of the'new strip abuts against the rear end of the strip ahead. The weight of block 182 transmitted through cord 176 to support .160 continues to urge the new strip inwardly until its end passes between the feeding pawls and the holding pawls 62, after which carriage 166 is returned to its normal inoperative position as will be more fully hereinafter described. Conveniently, a friction drag 252 (Figs. 5 and 10) carried by car riage 166 and arranged to rub on rod 168 assists in controlling the movement of car,- riages 166 and 172.

by a bracket 264- which may conveniently form a part of the support of the rack bar 168. A spring 266 tends tourge the hookshaped end 268 of latch member 260 into en: gagementwith and over rod 152, rod 152. passing beneath the hook-shaped end 268 of latch member 260 when rock shaft 112and the parts associated therewith are rocked to cause the transfer of a strip. Rod 152 is held under the control of latch member 260 for a considerable time, until after the end of the nail strip has passed feeler 102 and has come under the control of feed pawl 60. At this time an inclined cam surface 270 carried by carriage 166 passes under latch member 260 and lifts the latter, thereby permitting the escape of rod 152, which is moved back to position the fingers 156 upon the topmost strip in the magazine, as shown in Fig. 6, by mecl'ianism which will now be described.

Fulcrumed at 280 to bracket 26% is a lever 282, one end 284; of which is pressed into engagement with rod 152 by means of a spring The other end 288 of lever 282;is located in the path of movement of an adj ustable contact member 290 carriedby carriage 166,so that when the carriage 166 reaches the end 288 of .lever 282, the latter will be rocked in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, forcing rod 152 back tov its normal inoperative position, this taking place just after the release of latch member 260.

After the strip has entered carrier 16,and rod 152 with its fingers 154 has been returned to its normal position, it is necessary to return carriage 166 to the position shown in Fig. 5. With this in view a pair of adjustable stops 291 and 292 (Figs. 1 and 5) are carried by bracket 264 and a bracket 29 1 supported by frame 40, respectively. These stops are in position to engage pawls 210 and 220 respectively when carriages 166 and 172 have moved into the positions which they occupy when a fresh strip has just been inserted into carrier 46. Thus Ipawl 210is rocked so that its point engages rack bar 168 and pawl 220 is rocked so that its point engages rack bar 174, the pawls being held in these positions by means of the springs 21 1- and 224 respectively. With the pawls held in this condition, the reciprocation of rack bar 174 is effective to feed carriage 166 step by step towards the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, until carriage 166 occupies the position in which it is shown in that figure and is latched in that position by the engagement of hooks 190 and 200. V

While the mode of operation of the machine has already been described in. connec tionwith the description thereof, it may be conducive to a clear understanding of the invention briefly to review the mode of operation of the mechanism for transferring the strips from the magazine to carrier 46. As a strip is fed through the carrier l6 it holds feeler 102 with its end 108 moving in a path somewhat removed from arm 110, but as the end of the strip passes out of engagement with the feeler the latter is rocked by means of the spring 106' so that as the feeler is rotated its end. 108 engages arm 110, rocking that arm and rockshaft 112 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, thereby causing arms 149 .and 151, rod 152 and fingers 156, which are carried by the latter, to move as a unit in the same direction. Fingers 156 thus move the uppermost strip in the magazine edgewise from the magazine, dropping the strip on stationary supports 162 andon support 160 which is mounted on carriage 166. At the same time latch 190 is tripped, permitting carriage 166 and support 160 to move to the right (as viewed in Fig. 5) under the influence of weighted block 182. This movement of carriage 166 moves the strip lengthwise into carrier 46. After the strip has been inserted into the carrier and'feeler 102 has thereby been rocked so that the path of movement of its end 108 no longer intersects arm 110, rod 152, which meanwhile has been latched by means of the latch 260 so as to hold fingers 156 away from the magazine, is returned to its normal position with fingers 156 overlying the uppermost of the remaining strips in the magazine. This is accomplished by the pressure of contact member 290 carried by carriage 166 against the end of lever 288, thus rocking that lever so that its other end 284 forces rod 152 back to normal position. Just prior to this taking place, latch 260 has been lifted by the engagement therewith of cam surface 270. Thereupon the rack engaging ends of pawls 210 and 220 engage stops 291 and 292 respectively, moving those pawls into engagement with rack bars 168 and 174. The reciprocation of rack bar 17 1 is then effective to return carriages 172 and 166 to their initial positions where they are again latched by engagement between the latch member 190 and hook 200.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A strip feeding device comprising a rotary carrier, a sleeve mounted upon the carrier for reciprocating movement relatively thereto and provided with a pair of blank feeding pawls having frusto-conical blank engaging ends carried by the sleeve and arranged for reciprocation with the sleeve to feed the strip through the carrier.

2. A strip feeding device for a machine of the class described comprising a ring, a pair of blocks pivotally connected to the ring, a

pair of opposed substantially cylindrical strip-engaging dogs carried by the blocks, each of said dogs terminating in a frustoconical portion adapted to engage the strip to be fed, and springs engaging the ring and the blocks and tending to rotate the blocks about their pivots, thereby urging the frustoconical strip-engaging ends of saiddogs toward each other.

3. Strip feeding means comprising a tubular carrier, means to position a. strip diametrically of the carrier, a pair of feed dogs, means for oscillating the feed dogs to give the strip a step by step movement through the carrier, and a pair of holding dogs to prevent retrograde movement of the strip. during the idle movement of the feed dogs, each of said dogs terminating in a frustoconical, strip-engaging portion.

4. A strip-feeding device comprising a strip carrier, a sleeve slidably mounted thereon, means carried by the sleeve and arranged to feed a strip through the carrier as the sleeve moves forwardly on the carrier, means carried by the carrier and arranged to hold the strip against retrograde movement as the sleeve moves rearwardly of the carrier, means arranged to engage the rear of a strip to be introduced between the feeding means, means tending to move said strip-engaging means and the strip engaged thereby toward said strip-feeding means arrangedto introduce the strip to the strip-feeding means when the preceding strip passes out of engagement with said strip-feeding means, means for moving the carrier half a revolution at a time to reverse the position of the strip, and means for moving the carrier bodily rearwardly at the start of each stripreversing movement.

5. A strip-feeding device comprising a strip carrier, a sleeve slidably mounted thereon, a pair of feeding dogs carried by the sleeve and arranged to feed a strip through the carrier as the sleeve moves forwardly on the carrier, a pair of dogs carried by the carrier and arranged to hold the strip against retrograde movement as the sleeve moves rearwardly of the carrier, means arranged to engage the rear of a strip to be introduced between the feeding dogs, a weight connected 'to said strip-engaging means and tending to move the strip engaged thereby towards said strip-feeding'dogs arranged to introduce the strip between the strip-feeding dogs when the preceding strip passes out of engagement with said dogs, means for rotating the car rier half a revolution at a time to reverse the position of the strip, and means for moving the carrier bodilyrearwardly at the start of each strip-reversing movement.

6. A pawl for use in a machine of the class described comprising a pivoted block and a substantially cylindrical dog adjustably connected to the block with its axis lie substantially at right angles to the pivots of the block and terminating in a frustoconical portion.

7. A pawl for use in a machine of the class described comprising a block, a trunnion for theblock, and a dog adjustably threaded in the block with its longitudinal axissubstantially at rightangles to the axis of the trunnion, said dog having a frusto-conical end portion.

8. A pawl for use in a machine of the class described comprising a block, a trunnion for the block, and a dog having a frustoconical end, sait dog being adjustably threaded in the block with its longitudinal axis substantially at right angles to the axis of the trunnion, and means for locking said dog in adjusted position.

9. A feed or holding dog for use in a nail strip feeding device comprising a substantially cylindrical member terminating in a frusto-conical strip engaging portion.

10. A nail making machinehaving carrier arranged to present a nail strip to the nail making instrumentalities of the machine, means for feeding the strip through the carrier, a magazine constructed and arranged to contain a stack of nail strips and having a narrow opening through which a strip can be moved edgewise, means for engaging a strip and moving it edgewise from the stack of strips through said narrow opening in the magazine, and means for then moving the strip lengthwise into the carrier to present it to the feeding means.

1.1. Strip feed mechanism for a nail making machine having, in combination, a carrier arranged to present a nail strip to the operating instrumentalities of the machine, means for feeding the strip through the carrier, a magazine constructed and arranged to contain a stack of nail strips and having a narrow opening through which a strip can be moved cdgewise, movable means controlled by a strip in the carrier for engaging a strip and moving it edgewise from the magazine tnrough said narr w opening, and means for then moving the strip lengthwise into the carrier to present it to the feedin means.

12. Strip feeding mechanism comprisi a magazine constructed and arranged to contain a stack of nail strips, a carriage adjacent to the magazine, said magazinehaving a narrow opening through which a strip can be removed edgewise, a carrier, means for engaging a strip and moving it edgewise from the magazine through said narrow opening and depositing it with one end resting on the carriage and with the other end adjacent to the carrier, means for moving the carriage lengthwise of the strip to introduce the strip into the carrier, and means for feeding the strip step-by-step through the carrier.

l3. nail-strip feeding device having a magazine constructedand arranged to contain a stack of metal strips and having a narrow opening through which the topmost strip in the magazine can be removed, a group of stationary supports arranged to receive a strip when it has been removed from the magazine, means for engaging the topmost strip in the magazine and removing that strip from the magazine through said opening and dropping it on said supports, a carriage arranged to receive one end of a strip carried by said supports, a carrier, means for feeding strips through the carrier, means for moving the carriage in the direction of the length of the strip to transfer the strip from the supports into the carrier and to present it to the feed means, and means for returning the carriage to its initial position.

14; Strip feeding mechanism comprising a'magazine, a carriage adjacent to the magazine, a carrier, means for moving a strip edgewise from the magazine to the carriage and for moving the carriage lengthwise of the strip to introduce the strip into the carrier, and mechanism for preventing repeating of the operation of the means for moving the strip edgewise from the magazine until the cardage has substantially completed its lengthwise movement.

15. A magazine arranged to receive a supply of nail strips comprising a frame arranged to prevent undesired displacement of the strips in the magazine, a support arranged to receive thestrips, an abutment opposed to the support at the end thereof,

means tending to move thesupport and the strips thereon toward the abutment, and adjustable plates carried by the abutment and adjustable to provide an outlet passage wide enough to permit the passage of a single strip edgewise from the magazine but narrow enough to prevent the simultaneous passage of a plurality of strips from the magazine.

16. A strip feeding device comprising a pair ofracks, means for reciprocating one of the racks, a slide mounted upon each rack, a pawl carried by each slide movable into and out of engagement with the correspond ing rack, a connection between the two slides, a carriage carried by one of the slides, means for presenting a strip to the carriage, means tending to move the slides along the racks. a

latch arranged normally to restrain the slides from movement, means operative upon the presentation of a strip to the carriage to trip the latch to permit movement of the slides lengthwise of the racks to cause lengthwise movement of the strip and the carriage, and means for causing the pawls to engage the racks after the slides and the carriage have completed their travel lengthwise of the racks whereby the reciprocating rack returns the slides and the carriage to then initial positions.

17. Strip feed mechanism comprising a loo magazine, a rock shaft, one or more fingers connected to the rock shaft and arranged normally to overlie the uppermost strip in the magazine, means for rocking the rock shaft to cause the fingers to remove the uppermost strip edgewise from the magazine, a latch operative to prevent the immediate return of the fingers to the magazine, and means for releasing the latch and for returning the fingers into engagement with the uppermost strip in the magazine after the passage of a substantial interval of time.

18. Strip feeding mechanism having, in combination, a magazine arranged toreceive a stack of nail strips, a rock shaft, a pair of rock arms carried thereby, a plurality of fingers connected to the rock arms and arranged to overlie the uppermost strip in the magazine, a carrier, means for feeding a strip through the carrier a feeler arranged normally to contact with the strip in the carrier, means operated by the feeler when the strip in the carrier moves out of contact withthe feelerto rock the rock shaft and thereby to cause the. fingers to move the uppermost strip in the magazine edgewise from the magazine, and means for thereafter introducing the lastnamed strip endwise into the carrier.

19. A strip feeding device comprising a pair of rack rods, a slide mounted on each rod,

a pawl pivoted to each slide, a spring arranged to hold each pawl either in or out of engagement with the rack with which it cooperates according as the pawl is positioned in or out of engagement with said rack, a carriage carried by one of the slides, means for presenting a strip to the carriage, connections from the strip-presenting means to the pawls arranged to release the pawls from the rack rods upon the presentation of a strip to the carriage, means for moving the thus released slides to feed the strip lengthwise of the rods, means for reciprocating one of the rods, and means for moving the pawls into engagement with the. racks when the slides and carriage have completed their movement lengthwise of the rods, whereby the pawls and racks co-operate to move the slides and the carriage back to their initial position.

20. A nail strip feeding device comprising a magazine, a rock shaft, a pair of rock arms carried by the rock sh aft, a rod carried by said rock arms, a plurality of fingers carried by said rod and arranged to overlie a strip in the magazine, a carriage, means for guiding the carriage for movement in the general direction of the length of the magazine, means for rocking the rock shaft to cause the fingers to move a strip transversely from the magazine to present the strip to the carriage, means for moving the carriage to cause endwise movement of the strip from the vicinity of the magazine, and means for holding the rod and the fingers carried thereby away from the magazine until the strip has been moved endnected to engage the uppermost strip in the magawise substantially the len gth of the magazine.

21. A nail making machine having, in combination, a magazine arran ed to receive a supply of'nail strips, a carrier, means for feed-- ing a strip through the carrier to the nail making instrumentalities of the machine, a fecler arranged normally to contact with the strip in the carrier, a rock shaft, a rock arm carried by the rock shaft and positioned to be engaged hy'the'feeler when the strip in the carier moves out of engagement with the feeler, whereby the feeler rocks the rock shaft, strip-engaging means connected to the rock shaft and arranged to remove a strip from the magazine upon the rocking of the rock shaft, and means for receiving the strip removed from the magazine and introducing it into the carrier. I

A nail strip feeding device comprising a carrier, means for feeding a strip to the carrier, a feeler arranged normally in engagement with a strip in the carrier, a rock shaft, a magazine, one or more fingers conthe rock shaft arranged to zine, a feeler arranged normally to contact with a strip in the carrier, means operative upon the passage of the strip out of engagement with the feeler to rock the rock shaft and cause the fingers to move a strip edgewise from the magazine, a latch for preventing the immediate return of the fingers to the magazine, and means operative to release the latch and to move the fingers back into engagement with the uppermost strip in the magazine after the engagement of the feeler by the nail strip last removed from the magazine.

23. Strip feed mechanism comprising a carrier, means for causing step by step movement of a strip through the carrier, a magazine arranged to receive a stack of strips, a rock shaft, means controlled by the passage of the strip through the carrier to rock the rock shaft, one or more fingers connected to tl'ierock shaftand arranged normally to overlie the uppermost strip in the magazine and upon rocking of the rock shaft to move the uppermost strip in the magazine edgewise into a position in endwise alignment with the carrier, means for moving said strip endwise into the carrier, and a latch operative to prevent the return of the fingers into engagement with a strip in the magazine until after the strip last taken from the magazine has been moved endwise away from the magazine.

24. A nail strip feeding device for nail making machines comprising a carrier arranged to feed nail strips step by step to the nail making instrumentalities of the machine, a magazine, a rock shaft, a pair of rock arms carried by said rock shaft, a rod carried by said rock arms, a plurality of fingers carried by said rod and arranged to overlie the uppermost strip in the magazine, a. carriage, means for guiding the carriage for movement in the direct-inn of the length at the nail strips in the magazine, means for rocking the rock shaft to cause the lingers to move a strip edgewise from the magazine to present it to the carriage, means for moving the carriage to cause lengthwise movement of the strip to introduce the strip endwise into the carrier, and 10 means for holding the rod and the fingers earllCCl thereby away from the magazine until the strip has been introduced substantially into the carrier.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM H. JOHNSQN.

CERTWRGATE 0F CORRECTION.

Pateni No. 1,776,260. Granted September 23, 1930, to

WiLLIAR i H. JOHNSON.

it is hereby certified thai error appears in the printed specification iii the abeve numbered patent requiring cen'ection as ioilews: Page 1, line 68, after iiie word "sirip" insert the were for; page 4, line 7, strike out the werd "bar"; and that the said Letters Patent sheuid be read with these correetiens therein iiizit the same may eonieim to the record 0f the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 31st day Marcia, A. i). 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

